The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) on March 02, 2026, notified regarding the fee structure for the entities undertaking or intending to undertake permissible activities in the IFSC or persons seeking guidance under the Informal Guidance Scheme.
The following has been stated:
• The circular categorizes fees into application fee, licence/registration/recognition/authorisation fee, recurring fee (flat and conditional based on turnover), activity-based fee, processing fee, delay interest, penalties for non-submission of returns, and informal guidance fee.
• Applicants shall pay the applicable application fee at the time of submission, failing which the application will not be entertained. Upon grant of approval, licence/registration fees shall be paid within 15 days. Recurring fees include a flat annual fee and, where applicable, a turnover-based conditional fee payable in advance and adjusted after the financial year based on actual turnover. Activity-based and processing fees apply in specific cases, such as a change in management, scheme modifications, aircraft/ship leasing, and other regulated activities.
• Interest at 0.75% per month applies for delayed payments, and USD 100 per month per instance is chargeable for delayed or non-submission of regulatory returns. Fees under the Informal Guidance Scheme are fixed at USD 1,000 per application, with partial refund provisions if not maintainable.
• The circular also specifies detailed fee schedules for banking units, capital market intermediaries, stock exchanges, insurance offices, finance companies, bullion exchanges, FinTech entities, global in-house centres, and other regulated entities. Payment shall generally be made in USD (with a limited INR option for Indian applicants), and no refund is allowed except in limited circumstances.
[Notification no. - IFSCA-DTFA/1/2026]
